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Published On: Thu, Dec 17th, 2015

Paul Ryan, Congress moves ahead with new ‘omnibus’ bill, cutting privacy protections

The late-night session of Congress culminated with House Speaker Paul Ryan announcing a new version of the “omnibus” federal government funding bill that includes a version of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, outraging privacy advocates. This new version combines three bills, two passed by the House, and one – the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) – that had already passed the Senate by a vote of 74 to 21.
Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), who voted against the Senate bill, issued a statement on Wednesday stating that it was a “bad bill when it passed” and “worse bill today.”
“Americans deserve policies that protect both their security and their liberty. This bill fails on both counts,” said Wyden, adding that “cybersecurity experts say CISA will do little to prevent major hacks and privacy advocates know that this bill lacks real, meaningful privacy protections.”

Congress strips out privacy protections from CISA ‘security’ bill https://t.co/2br8Tw0ENr

— The Register (@TheRegister) December 16, 2015

 

Final version of #CISA was tucked into a 2,000 page bill that Congress has less than 48 hours to read before voting on. PATRIOT Act deja vu?

— Evan Greer (@evan_greer) December 16, 2015

photo Charles Fettinger via Flickr

photo Charles Fettinger via Flickr

In this new version, the bill creates the ability for the president to set up“portals” for agencies like the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence so that companies can pass along information about potential threats directly to law enforcement and intelligence agencies instead of the Department of Homeland Security.

It allows for more data sharing between the public and private sector while shielding companies from liability.

It also changes the criteria for when information shared for cybersecurity reasons can be used in law enforcement investigations. Previously, the back channel use of data could only occur in cases of “imminent threats,” while the new bill requires just a “specific threat.”

Fight for the Future’s Evan Greer called it “a disingenuous attempt to quietly expand the U.S. government’s surveillance programs.”

The bills were opposed not just by privacy advocates, but also civil society organizations, computer security experts, and many Silicon Valley companies. In April, a coalition of 55 civil groups and security experts signed an open letter opposing an earlier version of CISA.

 

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About the Author

- Writer and Co-Founder of The Global Dispatch, Brandon has been covering news, offering commentary for years, beginning professionally in 2003 on Crazed Fanboy before expanding into other blogs and sites. Appearing on several radio shows, Brandon has hosted Dispatch Radio, written his first novel (The Rise of the Templar) and completed the three years Global University program in Ministerial Studies to be a pastor. To Contact Brandon email [email protected] ATTN: BRANDON

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